Snape, Severus: A Drabble Collection
by whatpassesformymind
Summary: A drabble collection for the 20 Drabbles, 20 Prompts Competition, with the character Severus Snape.
1. Freedom and Happiness

Title: Freedom and Happiness

A/N: For yeah I'm a b1tch's 20 Drabbles, 20 Prompts Challenge.

Severus stared around in wonder. There were shops that sold everything from sweets to books to wands, with brightly coloured displays and curious sounding names. Attention grabbing posters adorned the walls, magical brooms swept the street, and at the head of the street stood the most impressive building he had ever seen. It was built of white marble, with enormous doors, and it gleamed in the sun. He wanted to go everywhere at once, turning his head from side to side. His mother tugged on his hand, laughing.  
"Come on Sev. We have to go to Gringott's and get money first, then we can go everywhere!" He'd never seen her like this, so free and happy. For once his father wasn't breathing down their necks.

The journey to the Prince vault was like a roller coaster ride, manned by stern goblins. His mother showed him the different coins that she had been telling him about when his father was out, then they re-emerged into the sunlight to buy books and robes. He lingered in the apothecary, fascinated by the jars of green armadillo bile and scarlet bat's blood and the glittering sacks of little beetle eyes. His mother was scanning the Hogwarts list.

"You still need a wand dear." Severus left, partly reluctant to leave the store, but excited. This was the part he had been really looking forward to: a wand, like his mother's.


	2. Red Hair

Title: Red Hair

He sat under the tree, hugging his legs. He watched the so called Marauders out of the corner of his eye, always wary of Potter and Black, but most of his attention was on Lily. She was sprawled on the grass, unworried. Flaming red hair curled around her face and spread over the ground, while shadows from the tree split her features into light and dark patches.

Severus thought that he had never seen anything so beautiful. Bright green eyes opened briefly, glancing over at him.

"What are you thinking about Sev?" She enquired, innocently curious. He blushed, thanking whatever deity existed that Lily wasn't a trained Legilimens.

"Just that Transfiguration paper." He lied. He could never tell her the truth.

"Oh, it's due in tomorrow right?" His mind drifted again, half listening to Lily's chatter.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" Severus stiffened, toppling sideways. He couldn't move, his breathing was restricted, and he could hear Black laughing insanely. They moved into his line of vision, Black and Potter – inseparable as always. Pettigrew followed them like an ugly puppy, while Lupin remained in the shade, reading and casting disapproving looks their way.  
"Who wants to see us have some fun with Snivellus?" Potter's arrogant voice rang out. Always the showman, seeking an audience. After all, it wasn't _bravery_ with no one to see it. Some people laughed, girls giggling at the Quidditch star James Potter.

Without warning a jet of light shot at his face, causing an explosion of pain in his nose. People laughed harder, calling for more. Severus watched Lily stand up next to him, lovely Lily. He dimly registered her shouting at Potter, but turned his attention to the blood pouring over his face. Just a broken nose, this time.

His tormentors turned and left, his bonds loosened so he collapsed into a heap. Someone knelt beside him, red hair falling into his line of sight.  
"Oh Sev." Lily whispered.


	3. Lily

Title: Lily

Severus was the first to arrive. The house was dark, the damage invisible. He hoped, fingers crossed like a child. He prayed for the first time in years. One hand rested on the fence post, holding himself up.

The snake in the sky curled grotesquely, another reminder. Something had happened here, something bad. And someone, someone would be dead.

_Please, not her. Not Lily. Please. She can't be. Not Lily. Please._

Severus' thoughts were a constant stream, pleading with a higher power. He opened the front door, painted green, and stepped into the dim hallway. Harsh wandlight fell across the body of James Potter, sprawled on the floor – wandless and lifeless.

_Not Lily, anyone but Lily. Just James. Please._

The stairs creaked and he gripped the banister tightly. The nursery door was wide open, hanging at an odd angle. The corner of the house was destroyed, splintered wood thrown everywhere. A wail made him jump and turn. Baby Harry stared up at him.

He looked down. She lay spread eagled by the cot, her face smooth and serene.

_Lily._

He knelt to the floor next to her, rocking the body in his arms and crying.

_Lily._

Life wasn't worth it any more.


	4. Caught

Title: Caught

Bright sunlight lit the busy street. People laughed, sang and danced. The atmosphere was one of joy and celebration. For many, this was the first time they had left their homes in months. The witches and wizards of Britain could not remember being happier.

Severus Snape lurked in the shadows, unseen. He was still a wanted man. But how dare these people be happy when a beautiful, wonderful woman had died? How could they smile when Lily Evans had been murdered? He swallowed. Severus refused to cry again. Lily was gone.

A jet of light hit him out of nowhere, and he collapsed. The Aurors approached, unnoticed among the crowds.

The doors of The Three Broomsticks were flung open. Madam Rosmerta shouted above the noise, inviting everyone to come and drink.


	5. Grief

Title: Grief

"Do you, Severus Snape, deny that you are in fact, a Death Eater?" The head of the court asked, staring down at him.

Severus stared back, silent and unresponsive. Something inside him was broken; another man might have called it his heart.

Ice cold chains wrapped around his wrists, holding them to the chair. They displayed his guilt for all to see. An innocent man wore no chains.

The doors behind him opened quietly, announcing the entrance of Albus Dumbledore. A fierce whispered argument started among the higher ranking officials and the Headmaster, but Severus could not find it in himself to care what about.

Eventually the chains loosened, wriggling back into the seat. He was free.

"Come now Severus, talk to me. Let me help you." The blue eyes twinkled gently at him, offering a hand to help him up. He shook his head. Grief had left him mute.


	6. Stains

Title: Stains

Angry red lines crisscrossed his forearm, doing nothing to hide the stark black image. The snake twisted from the skull's mouth no matter how much Severus scratched. It just wouldn't go.

To most of the staff at Hogwarts he was the strict dungeon bat that Dumbledore trusted. Little did they know that by night he tried everything to erase the visible reminder of his mistakes. But despite his enormous knowledge, he found nothing.

First he had attempted to use his potions expertise, to find or create anything that would at least hide it.

When that had failed, he had tried transfiguring the flesh and charming the ink, even resorting to a curse which earned him a visit from Madam Pomfrey.

His last resort was muggle methods: a knife, and a scalpel. In desperation he had been scratching away the skin. It caught under his nails and stained his fingers with blood.


	7. Souvenir

Title: Souvenir

Severus stared at the crumpled paper. It had been twisted and folded in his pocket for years, this fragile muggle money. A souvenir from Lily's holiday to America one year. Back when they were still young, relatively carefree, and before the Mudblood bomb had dropped.

She had come running down the road, laughing and spreading her arms wide. It was one of those days where he couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. A newly acquired tan painted her usually pale skin a light brown colour, and strands of red hair fell out of her ponytail as she sprinted towards him. Green eyes sparkled and she threw her arms around him, hugging tight. Lily babbled at a hundred miles an hour and he simply let her voice wash over him, so very aware of her body still close to his.

Mrs Evans had called her name from their house, followed half a minute later by Petunia's screech. Lily grimaced and pressed a printed sheet of paper into his hands.

And now that was all he had left. Twenty dollars.


	8. Blame

Title: Blame

If Severus could change one thing about his past, he knew exactly what it would be. He would do anything, absolutely anything to redo this moment and erase the memory completely. It would remove the guilt that constantly churned in his gut.

If he had never called her a Mudblood that day, none of them would be where they were right now. Severus wouldn't have taken the Dark Mark if she had still been his bubbly, charming and witty best friend. He wouldn't have relayed the prophecy to the Dark Lord. Lily would have been safer, no longer a target.

It was entirely his fault that Lily had died.


	9. Unintentional

Title: Unintentional

He had never expected this. Severus stared in horror at the scarlet blood spattered over the mirrors and mixed with puddles of water. Draco Malfoy lay very still; his shirt ripped and soaked with yet more blood.

Memories flew through Severus' mind of horrendous torture sessions with the Dark Lord.

Harry Potter was backed into one corner, wand still held up in front of his chest and hands trembling. He looked terrified, shaking where he stood. One look at the boy was all it took to see that this had been completely unintentional.

And once again Severus felt that twist of guilt deep in his gut, the feeling that he had caused this.


	10. Heartbroken

Title: Heartbroken

Severus paced irritably, picking up books and tossing them back down again at random. He couldn't bear to sit still. Not tonight.

It had been seven years, and it still didn't hurt any less. On the thirty first of October each year he still felt like someone was pulling apart his heart, cell by cell.

It was excruciating. Once upon a time he had scoffed at the phrase 'heartbroken'. It had seemed like a meaningless exaggeration. Your heart couldn't actually break.

Now though, he was certain it could. It could smash into a thousand tiny pieces, and you would glue it back together just for the scars to throb and burn.


	11. Blind Eye

Title: Blind Eye

Severus had been dreading this day for the last ten years of his life. Ever since he had seen the black haired little boy staring up at him, wide eyed and astounded.

Somehow Severus had just known that Harry Potter would be just like his father. Another arrogant child who thought the world ought to bow at his feet.

He was even in the same house.

_So was Lily._

He sneered down at the Potter boy, talking and laughing among his friends. Another gang, more Marauders.

He wouldn't turn a blind eye to a Slytherin's suffering as Slughorn had done.


	12. Saviour

Title: Saviour

He couldn't decide. Severus just didn't know what to do.

Because while it was wrong to hate the Potter boy for something so far out of his control, he couldn't help it. Every time he had nearly reconciled himself with the fact that he was not James, he would turn and those eyes would hit him like a punch.

And now Dumbledore expected him to rescue him, to take care of him. Severus would spend the next seven years stopping him from breaking his neck, following him to Quidditch games and taking extra night patrols.

How could he save Harry, when he couldn't even save himself?


End file.
